WTA&M setting marks in celebrating homecoming

Published: Saturday, October 03, 1998

Morris News Service

CANYON (Special) - West Texas A&M's 56th homecoming football game at 6 p.m. today will also be its 200th in Kimbrough Memorial Stadium as the Buffs tangle with Lone Star Conference South Division rival Angelo State.

Both teams are 2-0 in conference play, with both victories coming against North Division opponents. The Buffs (3-1 overall) are ranked 10th in this week's NCAA Division II poll and 23rd in the Football Gazette Division II poll.

The Rams (2-1), who have beaten WT seven consecutive times, are 11th in the Football Gazette poll.

It's a game that WT coaches, players and fans have been pointing toward since last year, virtually to the day.

The Buffs took a 23-10 lead into the fourth quarter at San Angelo, before Rams' quarterback Erik Hartman engineered three scoring drives en route to a 31-23 triumph.

"It was a long bus ride home last year," Buffs wide receiver Scott Boldvich said. "Most of the guys that played in that game have been thinking about this game since. We have a lot of respect for Angelo State."

Defensive end Franco Glaze said this game is huge, in terms of possible postseason chances.

"We came into this season thinking that we're a playoff caliber team," Glaze said. "But to get there, we know that we have to beat teams like Angelo State."

Buffs' head coach Stan McGarvey sees it as more than just revenge against a quality program that has been one of the winningest teams during the decade.

"It's a measuring stick for our program," McGarvey said. "Each season, there are two maybe three games that are just `big'. This is one of those.

"We've made progress the past couple of seasons, but to take the program to a higher level we've got to beat a team like Angelo State."